Speed Busters: American Highways

Speed Busters: American Highways is a 1999 arcade-style racing game developed and published by Ubi Soft for Windows 95/98. It attempts to blend the physics depth of a simulation with the accessible, high-speed action of an arcade racer. Players race across six themed tracks, plus one hidden bonus track, set in locations such as Hollywood, Louisiana, and Mexico. The goal is not simply to win but to earn money by clocking the highest speeds at radar checkpoints, which is used to repair and upgrade vehicles.

The game features an unusual story for a racing title: as a young speeder, you pick up a girl and are pulled over, only to be rewarded with cash by a cop who apparently runs a speed-for-profit scheme. The narrative sets the tone for the money-driven progression system. Championship mode is the core, where players compete in circuits to unlock new tracks and earn cash. Other modes include single race, time trial (Ghost), and LAN/Internet multiplayer.

Each track is loaded with interactive elements that react when the player passes them: a rampaging T-Rex, King Kong’s fist, swinging axes, geysers, and more. The visual presentation, powered by an enhanced F1 Racing Simulation engine, supports high resolutions, colored lighting, and particle effects, making it one of the best-looking PC racers of its time. However, the game’s high difficulty and aggressive AI can frustrate, as computer opponents often ram the player and do not trigger environmental hazards, giving them an unfair advantage.